Manager Engagement Crisis: 5 Strategies to Reverse the Decline

Based on Gallup’s finding that only 27% of leaders feel engaged at work, Hogan Assessments outlines a clear roadmap to rebuild resilient leadership 

Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report reveals a stark reality: just 27% of managers worldwide felt engaged in 2024, down from 30% the previous year. Female and younger managers experienced some of the steepest declines. The implications are severe, when managers disengage, productivity, retention, and team morale plummet. 

According to Hogan Assessments, a global authority in workplace personality assessment and leadership development that works with 75% of the Fortune 500, this drop is no mystery. Many organizations promote high performers into management roles without evaluating critical interpersonal skills like adaptability or emotional intelligence, leaving them unprepared for the human side of leadership. In high-pressure environments, personality characteristics such as avoidance, distrust, or extreme control can become amplified, undermining team trust. Misalignment between a leader’s personal values and the organization’s incentives further erodes motivation, while inconsistent support and limited development opportunities, particularly for women, exacerbate disengagement. 

“Manager engagement isn’t just an HR metric, it’s a predictor of organizational health and performance,” says Allison Howell, VP of Market Innovation at Hogan Assessments. “This crisis is preventable, but only if we understand the personality dynamics and systemic mismatches that fuel it.” That said, here are five strategies organizations can implement right now to turn the trend around. 

1. Recognize how pressure amplifies derailers 

High-pressure situations don’t create flaws in managers, but they can magnify characteristics that undermine leadership—like avoidance, distrust, or excessive control. Under sustained stress, these behaviors erode trust, stifle collaboration, and reduce team agility. Recognizing these patterns early allows organizations to coach leaders on coping strategies, stress management, and adaptive communication before damage is done. 

2. Rethink promotion criteria 

Performance alone is not a reliable predictor of leadership success. While strong results in an individual role are important, leadership also demands emotional intelligence, adaptability, and the ability to inspire others. Organizations should evaluate promotion candidates for their interpersonal skills and long-term leadership potential, not just their track record, to avoid setting them—and their teams—up for disengagement. 

3. Align values with incentives 

When a leader’s personal values are at odds with the organization’s culture or reward systems, motivation suffers. For example, leaders who value collaboration may disengage in highly competitive environments, while those who prioritize innovation may lose interest in overly risk-averse cultures. Understanding what drives leaders and aligning incentives accordingly can help sustain their energy and commitment. 

4. Invest in self-awareness 

Technical skills and role-specific training are essential, but self-awareness is often the differentiator between average and exceptional leaders. Leaders who understand their own strengths, risks, and blind spots are better equipped to manage relationships, adapt to challenges, and create psychologically safe environments. Embedding self-awareness into leadership development ensures managers can continually adjust and grow. 

5. Address gender-specific engagement gaps 

Gallup data shows that female managers’ engagement has dropped sharply, despite research indicating equal leadership potential between men and women. Often, the difference stems from external factors—such as inconsistent access to development opportunities, cultural barriers, or lack of sponsorship from senior leaders. Addressing these barriers directly can help close the engagement gap and ensure talented leaders of all genders thrive. 

The findings suggest that without decisive action, the current crisis in manager engagement could become a defining weakness for many organizations—one that quietly erodes performance, talent retention, and long-term growth. Left unchecked, these dynamics risk creating a leadership pipeline dominated by burnout, high turnover, and disengaged teams. However, the study also points to a different trajectory: by addressing the systemic causes behind disengagement, companies can safeguard their leadership bench and position themselves to thrive in an increasingly competitive and unpredictable business landscape. 

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The international leader in personality insights, Hogan Assessments produces valid, reliable personality assessments grounded in decades’ worth of research. More than 75% of the Fortune 500 use Hogan’s talent acquisition and development solutions to hire the right people without bias, boost productivity, reduce turnover, and promote diversity and inclusion.